Network devices, such as gateways, often provide various centralized management and security services that operate on network traffic originating from a large number of network nodes. These services may provide a number of benefits, including potentially avoiding the need to individually manage each node within a network.
The risk arises, however, that services operating on a node may be duplicated on a gateway, resulting in an unnecessary degradation of network performance. For example, a gateway is an advantageous location for malware detection or website filtering services for network traffic served by the gateway. However, if malware detection or parental control software is installed on a network node, redundant services on a gateway or other network device may result in decreased network performance without a coinciding increase in network security or utility. Network services located on a gateway or other network device also often lack useful mechanisms for alerting end users about network management and/or security issues, such as network policy violations.
In view of the above limitations, the instant disclosure identifies a need for additional and improved systems and methods for managing network communication.